In each course we have taken thus far, we have heard many different perspectives on what makes a leader. No matter the professor or the book, the value and importance of communication has been clear.
In Leadership Connectors, the authors (Hensley & Burmeister, 2009) give clear evidence for the need for effective communication, stating that "attention to clear communication across the school culture is a critical element of successful school leadership" (pg. 2). Several anecdotes serve as evidence for how communication is not simply what you say, but it's how you say it and the intent with which you deliver the message. I was reminded of Stephen M.R. Covey's book The Speed of Trust, where he describes that without having your integrity and intent in line with your actions, you will not be seen as a trustworthy person. A leader can talk all they want about how, for example, teacher input is valued, but without their actions following up to show those around them the ways in which they seek teacher input or put teacher input to work, all their words will mean little to nothing.
In the same way that everything you say and do communicates your values to those around you, what you don't say or do also demonstrates what is important to you. If, for example, you allow a staff member to consistently violate group norms at a staff meeting without consequence, you show that you do not value norms.
One section of the chapter that jumped out at me was the focus on written communication. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who find themselves judging others based on poor punctuation or misspellings, as petty as that seems. Therefore, I will be especially mindful of any written communication I send out, whether it is to parents, community, or staff.
Some other key learnings:
- Good communication is not one size fits all. A private congratulations to one teacher might be better than an announcement over the loudspeaker.
- Good communication needs to be practiced for any and all who you come into contact with: parents, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, maintenance department, community members, etc.
- Be humble, open, and honest. Use, don't abuse, your sense of humor.
- "Framing" a situation with positive communication can work wonders to avoid problems.
- Group pitfalls like "group think" can become detrimental to clear communication.
- Consensus building takes time, but it's worth it.
I'm looking forward to reading more in Leadership Connectors and hope to mesh it all together to add to my Leadership Toolkit.
Stephen M.R. Covey's book The Speed of Trust, where he describes that without having your integrity and intent in line with your actions; you will not be seen as a trustworthy person. I love this quote; it is so true of administrators today. So often people are all talk and no bite. I feel that administrators need to stick to their word and have a back bone.
ReplyDeleteI see that your blog is making progress. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to read your post and see that we pulled out some of the key findings. You can tell that communication has been a high priority in our cohort and in the end we will be administrators that communicate well.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post this week, I see that you and I highlighted a lot of the same key ideas from the text.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a stickler for written communication. There have been so many instances where a written sign has been posted with a misspelling or improper grammar, and it changes my whole perspective of the organization.
The latest example, however, was when I received a business card for a substitute teacher in my mailbox at work. The individual did not have a period after the abbreviation Mrs. in her name. I told my office manager that if a sub cannot punctuate correctly to help advertise herself, I don't want her in my classroom. She agreed and we removed her from our site's sub list. I understand noone is perfect, but that at least double check your work.